Bounty Hunter, A Tale of Adventure
by Onhiro
Summary: A bounty hunter is one day given a challenge to capture a rogue C'tarlC'tarl. To his dismay, the rogue has to be kept alive...and is a girl!
1. Bounty Collected

**Author's Notes- I do not own Outlaw Star. Instead I am merely using that universe as a backdrop for my story. I may have the characters of Outlaw Star appear. Maybe, maybe not.**

**ENJOY!**

CHAPTER ONE

There was a bright flash as lightning flared, and the boom of thunder rolled through the city streets. It had already been raining for hours, but now it came down twice as hard. A man sat on a motorcycle, ignoring the rain which had already soaked through the heavy black leather jacket he wore. His gaze panned around the street, despite the fact that it was raining, eleven o'clock at night, and his black helmet had a polarized visor. He seemed to be waiting…

Many faces watched him through the windows of the buildings lining the streets, but none ventured out onto the street. There was a flicker of shadow at the intersection leading onto the street. Immediately the man's eyes locked onto the movement. He stepped off the bike, pulling a heavy cylinder wrapped with canvas off his back. He pulled the cloth off of the object, revealing an assault rifle. He pulled the bolt back on the weapon, letting it snap forward as he ducked behind a car.

"You have one chance to surrender!" he shouted out, his voice echoing down the seemingly empty street. "Don't take it, and I'll be forced to take you down."

There was a peal of chilling laughter, which was followed instantly by the roar of a Very Rapid Fire Assault Gun. The rounds of the VRFAG tore into the car behind which the man hid, rocking it on its axis. He stood up, swinging his rifle around. He squeezed hard on the trigger, the six round burst flickering out from the end of the barrel. The bullets whizzed down the street before bursting into globes of intense light, illuminating that section of the block. The shadow stood in the middle of it, but instead of panicking, it instead pulled out a very odd looking pistol, but the man recognized it.

"A caster!" he hissed as he dropped down behind the car again. There was a bone shuddering boom, and the car was demolished, throwing the man ten feet into the air. He landed hard, and rolled, ejecting the mag in his rifle, and replaced it with one that had diagonal silver arrows painted on their sides. He stood, and braced his feet, hoping that the High Velocity rounds would be enough.

He fired again, the rifle kicking brutally against his shoulder, but the rounds tore through his target and into the building behind it, sending geysers of stone and dust into the air. The target dropped heavily, and the man drew a pistol as he ran up to it. He slowed as he neared, not surprised to see the person still breathing.

He calmly lowered his pistol, and put a round between the being's eyes, ending its pitiful life. "Damn pirate," the man hissed, looking down at the clownish face, still frozen in a grin. At least this one still had a recognizable face. The last few had to be identified through DNA. Now people were coming out into the street, and an old lady approached him.

She was wrinkled and bent with age, her height barely reaching the man's chest. She looked up at the tall and lean man with both thankfulness and sadness. "Thank you," she said, her voice raspy with time. "He had been stealing from us for a time now." She took a breath in, showing many missing teeth in her crinkled mouth. "But what will you do when his comrades hunt you down?" she asked, concern showing in her rheumy brown eyes.

The man looked down at her, and laughed. He pulled off his helmet, showing a handsome young face. His nose was straight and strong, and cheekbones high and noble. His short brown hair was spiked up from wearing the helmet, but the most shocking things about him were his eyes. Eyes that were silver, but not a silver found on any human being. "He is the last one!" the man said triumphantly.

"Are you…?" the old lady asked, pointing at his eyes.

"A bio-android?" the man finished for her. "No, I'm something better."

"MY CAR!" someone shouted in anguish from down the street. The man sighed, and bowed lightly to the old lady before he walked down the street to the group of people who had gathered around the smoking heap. The man who had shouted saw him approaching, and pointed a shaking finger in his direction. "You destroyed my car!" he screamed.

"Yes, and I plan to repay you. After all, your car saved my life," the warrior calmly replied.

"HOW DARE YOU-!" the car owner shouted, before he stopped short. "Huh?"

"How much did your car cost?" the man asked while he extended his left arm in front of him. He tapped a few buttons on a small keyboard in his palm, and a hologram screen appeared over his forearm.

The car owner watched him carefully as he snapped, "Two thousand wongs!"

"You liar!" a young man retorted. "You got the cheap piece of junk for five hundred and you know it!"

"Silence, Heigi! You want me to be ruined?" the angered car owner snapped back.

"Dammit Ginshu! I will not stand buy and let you-"

"Two thousand wongs? Done," the man said smugly. Both Heigi and Ginshu stopped arguing, and turned towards the man, mouths agape. "Just enter your account number and the money will be sent to your account." He turned the holoscreen towards Ginshu, who numbly entered the numbers of his account onto the screen. Once he hit enter, Ginshu watched as the man erased his bank number from the memory banks of his computer.

As soon as that was done, the man exited out of his computer, and raised his wrist to his mouth, and began speaking into the watch. "Melanie, this is Tristan. I just bagged him, features identifiable. What's the bounty on his head?"

The watch answered, "Three hundred thousand wong. Shall I come and get you?"

"No," Tristan answered. "Stay in orbit. I'll have the authorities come over and get the body before I head to the spaceport. I'll call you when I get there."

"Roger, Captain. See you in a few. Out."

"Roger and out." Tristan sighed, and pulled out a cell phone. Time to get the police.


	2. Shocking Discovery

**AN- Disclaimer: I do not own Outlaw Star, and am instead using that unvierse as a backdrop for my story.**

**Hopefully you enjoy this story so far. Please, review if you do.**

**ENJOY!**

CHAPTER TWO

Tristan entered the cockpit of his starship, the Victorious. "Hello Tristan. Where are we heading now?" asked Melanie, the ship's computer.

"We'll stay in orbit, and see if any more bounties show up nearby," he answered as he exited the room and headed down the corridor to the crew quarters. He shifted all his gear to one hand as he opened the heavy steel door. He stepped into the small cubicle that was considered the 'Captain's Quarters.' It was only ten feet by six feet. It had never been painted, and probably never would. He dropped his stuff on the floor with a loud splat, and stripped down to his under shorts before he headed to the head, prepared for a long, hot, shower. He passed a plain steel door that led to another bedroom, and he paused by it, resting his hand on its cold surface. He closed his eyes, remembering how her eyes had looked as she had died in his arms.

He shook himself, and moved on, entering the small bathroom. He stripped completely, and entered the shower. He turned the faucet on, letting the hot water pelt his skin, disbanding the last of the coldness he had in his bones from the rain. He quickly and methodically washed himself, spending no more than seven minutes in the water. After he turned the squeaky faucet off, he had the fans turn on, letting the warm air dry him.

He stepped out of the shower, and stood in front of the mirror mounted on the wall. His silver eyes stared out at him from his reflection, accusing him of not trying to save the one he loved. His arm came down heavily on the sink, the force of the blow vibrating the metal, causing a metallic hum to fill the air. Tears came to his eyes unbidden, and he silently sobbed. It only lasted a little while, but he did this every night. Why couldn't he stop?

When he left the bathroom, he was again composed. One of Melanie's 'bodies,' those little robots that sped throughout the ship, helping with repairs or labor, waited right outside the door. "Shall you be eating supper tonight, sir?" it asked.

"No, I just want to sleep." It whisked away on its service rail, leaving Tristan alone. He headed back to his room, and collapsed on his bunk. He slowly pulled the wool blanket over his body, and fell into slumber.

He had no dreams, and came into consciousness slowly. Something was bouncing on his body, lots of things were. He groggily cracked open his eyes, and saw eight of Melanie's helpers bouncing on his bed. "What?" he yawned.

"Sir, coffee has been brewed, and you have a new bounty."

"Already?" he yawned again. He slid out of bed, the helpers bouncing out of the room with him. He turned towards the bathroom, while they connected to the rails, and whisked off. He knocked on the bathroom door out of habit, and paused when he realized that he was the only person on this ship who would use the bathroom. He shook his head, and entered the cubicle. He leaned his forehead against the cool metal wall as he relieved himself. He yawned again, and wondered just how long he had slept. He left the bathroom, and headed to the galley, glad to see a mug of coffee ready for him.

He sat down at the table, and sipped at the coffee. Flipping up a monitor for the computer, he checked the time. 0300 hours. He had gone to sleep around 0100. Groaning, he drank deeper from the mug. "Show me the files on this guy."

The screen flickered, and soon the data appeared. A rogue C'tarl-C'tarl, those bastards were tough. A five hundred thousand wong reward, that was pretty hefty. But they wanted him alive, that was the tough part.

"Do they know where he is located?" Tristan asked sleepily. It would take awhile for the coffee to take effect.

"In the city you just left," Melanie said. "Reportedly in the downtown section. Will you be going now?"

"Yeah, might as well. Finish your analysis of that caster gun yet?"

"Yes, do you want to take it along?"

"No, I don't have any ammunition on me. I'll take just about everything else, though." He sucked away the dregs of the coffee, and stood, heading to the armory. It was loaded with everything from pistols to the most powerful sniper rifles.

He first pulled on an armored jump suit, specially adapted for stealth capabilities. He checked to make sure the spring-blades located in the vambraces were fully functional, each foot long titanium knives sliding smoothly out of the top of the forearm guards.

After he pulled on his bullet proof vest over the jumpsuit, Tristan holstered the 9mm pistol he would be taking. Making sure his short sword was securely sheathed on his belt, he also slung a 10 gauge shotgun diagonally across his back. He pulled one of the assault rifles from its resting place, and attached a tranquilizer gun to it.

He loaded a mag of normal rounds into the rifle, and picked up a full-faced helmet from a bench near the door. He would _not _be taking any chances with this one. He made his way to the dropship, hoping all would turn out well.

ooo

He had been stalking his target for twelve minutes now, keeping back, and in the shadows. But he knew the C'tarl-C'tarl was already aware by the way it moved. _That's it, boyo. Keep on thinking of your targets as 'its.' Make it easier for you._

The target turned a corner into a much quieter section of town. Tristan followed, pausing only to pull the bolt back on his rifle, and checking to make sure that the tranquilizer gun was locked and cocked.

He turned the corner, rifle to his shoulder, already up and aiming. He barely saw the golden haired C'tarl turn another corner into an alleyway. He silently ran up, and moved around the corner. The target was not there, and it was a dead-end. He began scanning with his rifle, the thermo-scan in his visor looking for heat sources. He looked up, just in time to see the target dropping down on top of him.

He rolled, bringing his rifle up, and releasing a three round burst. The C'tarl easily took it all, its hardened skin repelling the bullets. It stood up fully, and Tristan dropped his guard in shock. The C'tarl-C'tarl was _female!_ It was then that his target burst forward in attack.


	3. Enemy, or Friend?

**AN- I do not own Outlaw Star, and am instead using that universe as a backdrop for my story. **

**Please, review.**

CHAPTER THREE

Tristan barely ducked beneath the swipes the C'tarl-C'tarl whipped out. He spun, kicking at the cat creature's legs, but she just jumped up, and slammed down with her fist. The blow grazed his side, and slammed into the asphalt road. Despite being just grazed, Tristan's body spun from the attack. He stood shakily back up, pulling off his shotgun, assault rifle lying forgotten on the street. He slid the pump back and forth with a loud clack-chack! He brought the heavy shotgun to his shoulder, and began pumping out rounds. But the damned C'tarl-C'tarl kept on dodging!

Clack-chack! Click! He pulled the trigger, but heard the firing pin hit nothing but air. The gun was empty. He looked up just in time to see her foot coming hard at the side of his head. Too late to block, he braced for the attack. A bright flash appeared in his vision as his body went sailing through the air. He slammed into a dumpster, stars twirling in his vision.

"Stupid terran! Why can't you just leave poor old Ula Clan-clan alone? And now your dead," the C'tarl-C'tarl sighed. But gasped as Tristan stood back up.

"Stupid C'tarl-C'tarl! Don't count your dead yet! And don't ever give your name out to your enemy."

"Nyauo! How in the blue blazes are you still alive! That should have killed you, if not decapitated you!" she yowled in surprise.

"Because, Ula Clan-clan, I am _not _a terran. And there is your greatest mistake." Tristan removed his cracked helmet and his vest. He pulled a hood over his head, and to the complete surprise of Ula, simply disappeared. She pulled out her whip in response. There was a flash of steel to her left, and shewhipped the heavy weapon in the direction. The whip slammed against the ground, cracking the pavement, then stopped moving as a short sword stabbed into it. Ula blinked in surprise before a foot crashed into her face.

She flipped back, letting her superior senses open up. She now could sense the troublesome bounty hunter. She roared in rage as she charged forward, putting all her strength into her arm as she swung her fist forward. She shouted in triumph as her fist connected with flesh. But her shout of triumph turned into a growl of frustration as her arm slowed to a halt. She gasped as a cold barrel pressed against her flesh.

Tristan shimmered back into view, one hand clasped around Ula's fist, the other holding the tranq gun against her neck. She glared at him, hatred shimmering in her eyes. "You may be strong, but a lousy dart gun will not be enough to pierce _my_ skin!" she hissed.

"I know, that's why I set the pressure high enough that a dart could punch through an inch of steel." He puckered his lips into a kiss. "Nighty-night sweetheart." The last thing Ula felt was three sharp pricks of pain in her neck before she fell into darkness.

Tristan frowned as he gently laid her body onto the ground. Guilt flared through him at the thought of the pain in Ula's eyes as the tranquilizers took effect. He brought his wrist communicator to his mouth. "Shit, Melanie, the target is female. Why do they want her?"

"She is reported to have stolen some food, got into a bar fight after some human tried to seduce her, and is a defector of the C'tarl-C'tarl Empire."

"Melanie, I can't turn her in."

"Would it interest you to know the bounty has been doubled by the C'tarl Empire?"

"It doesn't matter. I can't take her to the airport, can you pick us up here?"

"You will have the local security force on our tails, but if we activate the Manchusen Drive, then we might escape."

"Right, do it."

"Roger, sir. Dropship ETA: four minutes. Be ready. Out."

"Roger and out." Tristan looked down at the woman on the ground before him. _I don't know why I'm doing this for you, but you had better be grateful._ He collected all his gear quickly, and waited for his dropship to arrive. There was a thrumming roar overhead, and a line dropped down next to him. He secured himself, and made sure he was holding tight onto Ula before he had them winched back up into the craft.

ooo

Ula's eyes fluttered open to see a steel room that had been painted a light gold. She rested on a comfortable bed, convincing her she was not in prison. The fluorescent lights above her were dark, and she noticed something else about the ceiling. Piping was clearly visible. She must be on a ship.

A hole appeared in the wall, and a small robot sped through it, attached to a line. The hole closed up behind it, and the robot looked at her. "Ah, so you're awake now. If the captain wasn't sleeping, then he would be able to meet you," a female voice came from the robot, and Ula blinked in surprise.

"Aren't ship computers usually male?" she asked, as curious as a kitten.

"Yes, but Captain Tristan preferred a female model."

Ula shrugged, and walked to the door, turning the handle, dismayed to find it locked. "You are not allowed to leave this room until the Captain speaks with you."

Ula just growled at the little robot, and wrenched the door open. Hah, there's some C'tarl-C'tarl strength for you! She crept silently out into the hall. The robot behind her was complaining about the door, but Ula just ignored her. She would find the Captain, and give him a piece of her mind. Or a piece of her fist, whichever was more convenient.

She sneaked up the corridor to a door she felt was his. She silently turned the handle, and slowly opened the door. There he was, sleeping on a small bunk. She blinked in surprise. The bed she woke up in was bigger then the one he slept in. In fact, that room was at least twice as big as this small cubicle.

She shook her head, and stole into the room as silent as a whisper. She reached his bunk, and slowly reached her hand out to grab him. Tristan suddenly spun into action, surprising the hell out of Ula. Before she could react, she was slammed face down into the small bed, arm strained out behind her, and a sharp knife pressed against the back of her neck.

Just when she thought she was dead, the pressure was relieved, and her arm dropped. She spun around, clutching her aching shoulder, prepared for combat, but instead watched in surprise as Tristan stumbled back, knife falling from senseless hands. He drew in a shaky breath, staring in shock at his trembling hands.

Once he stopped shivering, he glared at her. "Do you know how close you were to dying!" he snapped, anger rippling in his voice. "Of all the stupid-!" he growled, then stopped, sighing tiredly. "Didn't Melanie ask you to stay in your room?"

"Nyauo, Melanie?" she blinked, looking sheepish. "Oh, the funny little robot! Yeah, but I thought you were my enemy. I guess I was wrong."

"Look, if I were your enemy, you would not be on my ship, unrestrained. You would be in a prison, restrained to the point of no movement, waiting for some C'tarl-C'tarl warship to come and pick you up." He sighed, looking around the unadorned room, and looked back at the beautiful woman before him. "Ya hungry?" he asked.

Ula's big grin was all the answer he needed. He stood, and moved out into the corridor, and made his way to the galley. He pulled out some MREs and smiled in apology. "These are all I got at the moment, but if you want to wait, I could cook something."

"Hah, I've been living off the streets. This is plenty!" she laughed. She took about five of the packs, and began to dig in. "So where is the rest of your crew?" she asked around a mouthful a ham.

Tristan closed his eyes in sudden pain. "They're dead," he said quietly, hands clenching on the top of the table.

Ula stopped chewing for a few seconds, and swallowed slowly. She cleared her throat, her emerald green eyes casting about the room nervously. "So, uh, what exactly are you? No terran could handle me like you did."

Tristan just scoffed. "I am the most advanced bio-android ever created. So advanced, I am even beyond bio-androids. Stronger, faster, smarter. I could have killed you with my bare hands had the situation called for it. And I even feel the emotions of a normal human being. Joy, happiness, anger, sadness," now his voice grew softer, "love," now it was so silent as to be not heard, "and guilt." Again his hands clenched on the table top.

An alarm blared over the loudspeakers. "Captain, several pirate ships are approaching. Prepare for combat."

Tristan just cursed, and jumped up from the table. "Melanie, lead Ula to the cockpit, or her room, wherever she wants to go. Prepare the ship's self defense systems. Is the fighter all ready to go?"

"Roger, Captain."

"Well, C'tarl-C'tarl. Now you get to see me in space combat. See you soon." He ran out of the galley, and took a left. Ula was left at the table, blinking in surprise. A small robot zoomed into the galley.

"Where would you like to go?" it asked.

"Cockpit," was Ula's immediate answer. This should get interesting.


	4. Solemn Victory

**AN- Cool, I have two reviews! One by the ever faithful Dairokkan, who has also been my most loyal reviewer for my _other_ story. Good to see you again, man. Macky, yo, wazzup. Short review, but all who review deserve a message back. Well, here is your next chapter. And I plan to continue. Viva la story!**

**Right, now for the DISCLAIMER! I own only the OCs, not Outlaw Star. I'm sure you know the rest of the message. Not my universe, yadda yadda yadda, using it as a backdrop, etc. Well, I hope you enjoy, mates.**

**Please Review.**

CHAPTER FOUR

Tristan pulled on the flight-suit, as he approached his fighter. The fighter itself was modeled after the ancient F-18C, and was _not_ a grappler combat ship. He personally did not believe in using that type of ship. He didn't care if you used it, but he didn't want to, despite the fact that he had better reaction than any human out there. No he was not conceited, it was simple truth.

He jumped into the cockpit, body floating through the lighter gravity of the cargo hold. He slipped on his helmet, and strapped himself into the seat. "This is Blue One, testing radio. Bridge, do you copy? Out."

There was a faint splutter of static, and then a gasp. "Oh, you mean me?" Ula asked, her voice raspy over the radio.

"Roger. The Victorious is Blue Mother, and you are at the bridge. Out," he laughed.

"This is no laughing matter!" he heard the cat-lady snarl. "There are lots of enemy ships out there, how do you expect to win? I didn't come here just to die, you know!"

"Good, I didn't either. Out," Tristan said, mirth leaving his voice. He looked over the instrument panel, making sure all things were operational, and the fighter was all stocked up with ammunition.

"Blue Mother, open cargo bay door." _Shit, here we go again. No way to stop it now, and I doubt those clown bastards would back off, and there's no time to escape into sub-ether space._ There was an electric whirring as the huge doors below him opened up.

"Launching Blue One, preparing for combat. All sensors up and running."

Ula's POV:

"Closing cargo bay doors," the computer said monotonously. Ula Clan-Clan stifled a yawn. This was boring, where was the action? If she was going to get killed, at least let it be _exciting_. The bridge started to shake, and Ula yowled in surprise as there was a roar felt through the metal as a jet slowly flew over the top of the bridge, and came in to fly the same speed as the larger ship. Ula looked out the side window to see the helmeted form of Tristan sitting in the cockpit of the fighter, and he saluted her before he gunned his engines and flew ahead.

She watched as his jet shrank to nothing more than the two lights of his engines, rapidly approaching all the lights from the engines of the enemies. There was a sudden bright flare from a missile's rocket underneath Blue One, and the fighter peeled back, and retreated back to the Victorious. The C'tarl-C'tarl's gaze shifted from the fighter to where she had last seen the missile in confusion._ He fired off one shot, yet ran away like a coward? What kind of man is he?_

NOVA! Star, a brilliant star blooming where before there had only been enemy ships! The star was so big! It filled the entire view of the ship, and for one terrible moment, Ula could swear it would reach out and destroy the Victorious. But then it collapsed upon itself, and Ula realized just what happened. Tristan had taken it upon himself to drop a nuclear weapon right in the middle of the enemy formation. She cackled with glee at this realization.

"Enemy fighters closing in!" came Tristan's tense voice, and Ula knew that they weren't completely in the clear yet.

Tristan's POV:

He pushed in with the joystick, and flew down under the Victorious, where self-defense Vulcan guns were popping out of hatches. He smiled with the thought of how much damage those guns could do. Each turret had a six-barreled 30mm Gatling Gun, whose bullets were alternatively high-explosive and armor-piercing, with a tracer round at six bullet intervals. The damned guns fired so fast that the tracers were so close together, it appeared as though the turrets had energy beams, not guns.

True, he did have some plasma batteries, but not as many as he had good old-fashioned lead spewers. He grimaced as these pleasant thoughts left his mind, and the eight-plus gee pull of his fighter maneuver pulled at his flesh, rattling his back teeth.

"Okay, cocksuckers, time to come out and play!" he hissed into his mike as he came out from underneath his ship at speeds higher than mach-three. The globe radar showed at least thirty remaining bogeys, all coming within the outer reaches of the Victorious's self-defense unit. But he would reach them first. He accelerated, screaming towards the enemy faster than their ships could handle, faster than their grappler ships could react to. It didn't matter if they were 'superior' in terms of combat. But he was the master at high speed fighting. Their ships were larger, and more bulky. And equipped with just one powerful rocket engine.

His was sleek, and deadly, designed purposely to be able to take on all but the largest and most powerful of grappler ships. And he had two engines that were able to be shifted from either jet, or rocket, making it perfectly adaptable for both space and atmospheric warfare. It also made him the fastest for this type of work.

He remembered screaming sometime in the dogfight, probably as his first conventional missiles reached out and touched his enemies, destroying them. From then on out, he no longer thought about anything. It was all programming, letting his body do what it was made to do. He may have looked human, but when it came to fighting, he was something completely different. His 'nerves,' if you will, were faster than those of a human, and faster than that of most machines, too. His mind was made to make the best possible judgment as quickly as possible, but with a little taste of human daring and recklessness, so he would do things that would seem illogical. But he was _fast_. He made the fast seem slow. And with enhanced muscles, made to be able to endure what others couldn't and to be able to do what others couldn't, he could even move faster than most humans even without the enhanced nerves.

But he had rebelled against what he had been made for. Those damned pirates hadn't expected this when they wished for him and four other super-enhanced bio-androids through the Galactic Leyline. They hadn't expected them to be able to fight against their evil rule. They hadn't expected them to be so human. He would not fight for the pirates against the C'tarl-C'tarl (arrogant pricks though they may be) or against the Outlaws or Space Forces. But he had paid for his disobedience. All his friends and loved ones had perished, and he was the last of his kind.

So he had come to not caring about life. Who cared if he was so smart he designed his own ship and fighter? Who cared if half the weapons in his armory he had made himself? Who cared if he could live life as a perfect human being, able to reproduce (though he himself still hadn't figured _that_ one out)? And who cared if he supposedly had a soul? No one proved that too him yet, no one proved he had a spirit that would go on after his current body failed.

And so his indecision came out upon the pirates he was fighting. He fought a little more recklessly, a little more angrily, taking chances that were dangerous, had he been fighting someone actually good. And that was also how he had fought against all the pirate leaders he had come across from that one clan. All that was left were lackeys and grunts, and they were easy.

He no longer yelled in exhilaration as he pulled in behind the last pirate fighter, who was desperately trying to get away from the battle. Tristan didn't care if it was an actual human piloting that ship, nor did he care. _There shall be no mercy for any force that dares test my anger and power._ His guns fired, tracers flickering out, ripping into the ship and tearing it apart, leaving it to explode in a bulging sphere of burning rocket fuel and cookoing off ammunition. _That's for my wife and unborn child, you bastards!_

He slowly wheeled his fighter around, and made his way back to the Victorious, which had received minor hits, but had given out a lot more. He saw Ula run from the bridge, taking the corridor that would lead her to the docking bay. He only hoped the fool would be smart enough to wait until the room was pressurized. He made that mistake once, and since blood did run through his veins, he had nearly died a very painful death. He sighed, and came up underneath Blue Mother, and slowly boosted his way up into the cargo hold. The doors shut underneath him, and his jet was clamped down securely. The alarm lights flashed red for a few seconds before they flashed briefly green before shutting off, showing the room was pressurized. He slid the canopy of the fighter back, and pulled off his helmet, relieved to be breathing air that was not immediately recycled from his lungs. The door hissed open, and Ula came running in.

"YOU WERE BRILLIANT!" she screeched with joy. Tristan smiled, but with no feeling. Ula sensed this, and calmed down considerably. Tristan jumped down from the fighter, and walked past the C'tarl-C'tarl without a word, simply wanting to be alone for a while. He was tired of this stupid battle with the pirates, with the universe. Sometimes, he just wished it would finally end in peace for him, his 'soul,' and his memories.


	5. Heated Emotions, and Deep Pain

**AN- Righteo, Chapter Five. It's fun writing two stories at the same time. Okay, disclaimer time. "I swear to say the truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God. I do _not_ own Outlaw Star, and am instead using that universe as a backdrop for my story. Your honor, that is all I have to say at this time. Thank you."**

**Please Review, and enjoy.**

CHAPTER FIVE

Tristan stumbled out of his room, and slowly made his way to the bathroom. He scratched idly at the side of his face, yawning tiredly. He would have to shave again soon. He paused outside the bathroom, stretching his muscles, trying to get the kinks out of them. He hadn't fought against that many enemies in space in a long time.

He cranked open the door, and pushed it open. He looked up and saw a completely naked female C'tarl-C'tarl step out of the shower. "WHOA!" he shouted, ducking out of the bathroom, slamming the door. _What the hell-?_ he thought wildly. But then it all came back to him. Ula Clan-Clan, and his battle with her. _Of all the days NOT to knock!_ he screamed at himself. _She's gonna kill me!_

But then he heard loud peals of laughter from the other side of the door. "You shoulda seen your face!" Ula laughed, her voice muffled by the steel. "It was priceless! Why didn'tya knock?"

"Normally I do, but I just forgot this morning!" Tristan retorted, miffed at getting laughed at so early in the day. The door opened, and Ula stepped out, fully clothed, Tristan was glad to see. He would simply get _that_ memory erased from his databanks. He leaned back as Ula stuck her face towards his, emerald green eyes sparkling with curiosity and concern. "What?" he asked defensively, wondering if the bedspread had left an imprint on his face.

"Are you okay?" the C'tarl-C'tarl asked, seemingly genuinely concerned. "You seemed really bummed out after the battle."

He looked at her, memories of his wife and previous crew flashing through his mind's eye. "Yeah," he lied. "Of course I'm all right. All I needed was some sleep. That's all." He smiled, an idea forming. "Hey, you want to spar after I wake up a little? I haven't had a partner to spar with in a long time."

Ula's eyes brightened up with the mention of fighting. "I like you, Tristan. You feed me, and now you'll let me pound you into the ground. Not many are as generous as you are," she smiled wickedly.

"Yeah, that's if you can pound me into the deck, woman. I'll wipe my ship clean with you," he replied, also smiling. _How can one person, one C'tarl-C'tarl even, make me feel so much better. Did I not swear to never let someone be my friend, so that that person would not get hurt, like all my previous friends? Why did I let this female come and warm my heart with the fires of friendship?_ As he thought, Tristan quickly prepared to fight, making sure his body was relaxed. _What will happen now? Will she too get killed because of me? Will I have to lose another friend of mine? _His mind boiled in chaos as he pulled on clothes and made sure his knives were in the sheaths in his right boot, and forearms. _NO! With her strength and my skill, she will not fall to my enemies! All who dare oppose us will fall._

He stepped into the corridor, where Ula was patiently bouncing her back against the wall, lightly knocking her hands together. She straightened when she spotted him, and grinned widely. "So, where is your training room?" she asked silkily.

Tristan suppressed certain male urges at the way her voice sounded, and simply told her to follow him. _I can't let myself fall for anybody, no matter how beautiful, kind, or strong they are._ He looked back at Ula, who was positively bouncing with anticipation. _Though she is beautiful, and I know she is strong, that's for damn sure._ He shook his head lightly, trying to suppress the thoughts as he turned down another hallway that led to the belly of the ship.

They soon entered the spacious room, which was padded all over the place. "Do you need to warm up?" Tristan asked before he turned to face Ula, barely able to dodge the fist that came straight for his face. "I guess not!"

Ula again lunged, but Tristan grabbed her arm and pulled hard, driving his knee into her stomach. She gasped, just before he slammed his combined fists into the back of her head. She flipped, but landed on her feet. Before Tristan could recover from his last attack, he was rewarded for his move with a hard roundhouse kick.

He slammed into the ground, and skidded into the wall. He sensed a shift in Ula's aura, and rolled to the side, barely being missed by her knee slamming into the ground. He flipped back, kicking her twice in the chin with his heavy combat boots.

He continued back, and once he was sure he wasn't being pursued, he stripped of his shirt, exposing his bare chest, and wrist sheaths. With a deft flick of his wrists, the two knives flipped out of their sheaths and into his hands. He slowly circled around Ula, who had also stripped off her heavy scarf and shoulder armor, leaving her with just her chest plate on. "You don't mind if I use bare steel?" he asked, making sure he didn't have to drop the knives and continue on with just his hands and feet.

But Ula just shook her head, showing she didn't mind at all. She raised her hands, and instead of forming fists, she let her claws grow out. "Melanie, music. Metallica's "Sad But True." There was a faint hiss of static, then the beats of the ancient song thundered out of the loudspeakers. Ula listened, her head nodding in time with the beat.

"Nice," she said, voice throaty with the rush of adrenaline. "Now we can dance!" She burst forward, roaring, but Tristan stopped her attacks by slamming her wrist with the pommels of his blades before he tried to execute a quadruple slash. Before any of his blades touched her, she grabbed his hands, and dug her claws into his flesh, forcing him to drop his daggers. Then she roared again, and threw him at the nearest wall. He flipped in mid-air, landing on the wall feet first instead of back first, like she had planned.

He pushed off, bloody hands reaching down to his right boot, and drew out his last dagger. _Time to show her what I can do!_

Ula's POV:

He was tough! Ula had never had to fight so hard, not even against one of her own kind. Though she had only done a few moves, she had put a lot of strength into her attacks. By her estimations, she had expended enough energy to move a train car two miles. But Tristan would not go down! And how come she had to be female? She had nearly drooled when he stripped of his shirt. He had the best muscle tone she had ever seen, and that coupled with his handsome face was enough to make her weak kneed with desire. She was painfully aware of his body when ever he came close to touching her, and she looked forward to grappling closely with him. _Wait! What the hell am I thinking! He is not even living! And I am NOT falling for him! _she growled in her mind. _Am I?_ she asked herself in shock after she paused. She couldn't; after all, she had known him for less than three days. But he had shown her compassion and mercy, things she had never experienced until she met the bio-android. He was strong, after all, he had beaten her in one-on-one combat. He was smart, for she had learned from Melanie that he had designed this ship, as well as designed and built half of the weapons she had admired earlier while exploring the ship. And he knew what to do in combat, and when to do it, that was equally important. Basically, if he was C'tarl-C'tarl, he would have had so many females fawning over him. He had all the most valued of traits.

But he also had a difficult past. He seemed to be riddled with guilt about what happened to his companions, and had only once really smiled in front of Ula, and this troubled her. Why was Tristan so sad? True, he may have lost people he loved and admired, but he should move on. Melanie had said Tristan had been alone for five years now. The ship's computer hadn't seen anybody for that long, until Ula had shown up. Melanie was lonely, and had spent hours teaching Ula about the ship and how to run it, as well as a basic review of Tristan's past.

PAIN! Sharp, blinding pain! Ula had lost her concentration, and her decrease in focus allowed Tristan to come in close with his knife, and slash her hard across her ribs. Her mind flashed red, and she spun, whipping her claws out. She only felt insane pleasure as her nails tore through flesh.

Tristan's POV:

He had never expected his knife to make contact, much less tear through flesh. He berated himself for not noticing Ula's lack of concentration, but there was nothing he could do about that at this point. He screamed in agony as four claws suddenly tore into his lower back. He was spun by the force of the blow, and looked into Ula's eyes, which showed only the mindset of a feral beast. She sounded a deep, rumbling snarl before she leaped forward again, blood leaking out of the cut Tristan had left on her.

They collided, and Tristan's head slammed hard against the bulkhead, and for a few seconds he saw stars. He barely saw the hooked hand slamming forward to kill him. He managed to block, and throw the force of the blow elsewhere. "ULA!" he roared, hoping to snap her out of her reverie. But he failed. Seeing nothing else to do, he grabbed the sides of her face, and drew her down for a deep kiss. He kept his eyes open, and saw her eyes soften, then harden again. At first he though she was pissed, but then she deepened the kiss even farther, their tongues dancing wetly with each other.

He felt himself harden when she moaned inside his mouth, and knew he had to stop it before it continued. But despite being a 'supercomputer humanoid,' his body and mind were still affected by hormones,so he didn't _want_ to stop.

His hands left the side of her face, and roamed over her warm body, drawing her closer to him. He subconsciously pulled her roughly against his hardened self while rocking his hips into her, and she groaned again. They broke the kiss, both gasping for breath. "Tristan," Ula whispered huskily, licking the side of his face gently, lovingly.

But it was her saying his name that brought him back to his senses. Before he realized he had moved, he was several feet away from her, backing up with hands raised. "I am so, so sorry!" he gasped, leaving Ula looking confused. "I only meant to bring you back, not violate you!"

"What makes you think I minded being 'violated?'" she asked sexily.

Tristan dropped to his knees from the pain that came from his wounds, and from emotions he had thought he had buried long, long ago. He looked to his torso, and saw Ula's blood painted across his upper abdomen. "Oh my God!" he cried in shock, clutching the sides of his head in fear. "What have I done?"

"Made me all hot and bothered, that's what!" Ula huffed. "And if you don't want to continue like a man, than I am going to go seek pleasure in my room!"

But she fell silent as Tristan looked at her in the eye. He could only imagine what he must look like, crouched down on his knees, as though hiding from an oncoming blow, his eyes showing anger, shame, fear, and self-hatred. "My wife, how could I betray my wife?" he sobbed as his head bent under the force of the emotions.

"Tristan, its okay," Ula whispered gently, laying a gentle hand on his back. "Do you think your wife would want you to obsess upon her memory and be miserable and depressed for the rest of your days, or move on and be happy with someone else?" she asked softly, and Tristan knew she was right. He should try to be happy, and though he had once sworn never again; maybe just this once, he should forsake his vow. He smiled, and sank into darkness. _Rebecca, I'm so sorry. Through my self-pity, I have made both of us sad._ He saw his wife's young, beautiful, and happy face, and knew he had made the right choice…

**And just as a reminder, please review. (Don't make me use my mind control on you people)**


	6. A Deadly Request

**AN- Disclaimer: I don't own Outlaw Star, but am instead using that Universe as a backdrop for my story. I guess I am going to have the characters of Outlaw Star appear...**

CHAPTER SIX

Tristan's eyes snapped open, and he looked up at the ceiling. He slowly turned his head to the side slowly, and saw the medical equipment on the wall. "Med-bay," he whispered. He became aware of a warm weight upon his chest, and he shifted his gaze to see Ula dozing with her head resting on Tristan. He smiled, and made sure to keep his breathing the same so she wouldn't be bothered. _Not quite as beautiful as Rebecca was, but she'd some in a close second._ There was something alluring about her feline features, and her tail was so cute, though she probably wouldn't want it to be called that.

He leaned his head back again, and closed his eyes. He lay like that for five minutes, listening to the light breathing of Ula, and the beep of some monitor or another. Then he gave a light sigh. "So, did you get healed up as well?"

Ula answered without any pause of sleepiness. "Yes."

"How long have you been awake?" he asked, eyes opening.

"Ever since you were," she answered. "How could you tell?"

"You breathing deepened and then lightened slightly at uneven intervals, enough that it was clear you were awake. How do you feel?"

"Fine," she answered smoothly, and started to get up. But Tristan reached out, and grabbed her arm lightly.

"It's okay," he started, and paused. "It felt good." He looked at Ula to see her smile sweetly as she lay her head back down. He sighed with happiness, and started to stroke her long, golden hair. His hand ran over her long braid, and she snuggled closer to him. And then she started doing something he never expected: she started purring.

He lost himself in the simple pleasure of her happiness and her warmth. It had been so long: five years. Five years of loneliness, without even one visit to one brothel. He hadn't even touched a woman in those five years, except for maybe the accidental brushing done in a market place. He had sworn a foolish oath that his late wife probably hated, for it kept him sad. She always did say that she wanted both of them happy.

"Hey Tristan?" Ula murmured.

"Hmm?"

"Why do I have the biggest room? You have a little cubicle, I have a large room. Why?"

His body unconsciously tensed, but he forced it to relax. "That room had once belonged to me and my wife. Once she died, it just…hurt too much. I couldn't stay in there." He paused, and their silent reverie continued. "You want something to eat?" he asked after about five minutes. "I'll cook you up something if you want."

The response was instantaneous. Ula was immediately up on her feet, pulling at his hand. "Damn right you will! I am so hungry, and I am getting kinda tired of those MREs." She happily pulled him out of the med-bay and towards the galley. Suddenly she stopped, and looked towards him nervously. "What do you know how to cook?" she asked, fear edging her voice.

Tristan's laugh came out of the blue, surprising even him. It had been ages since he had really laughed, or even smiled for that matter. Ula had begun to thaw his heart, and he was glad for it. "Ula, I was made ready to go. I can cook most of the dishes found in most expensive restaurants, as well as several more convenient meals. I was also knowledgeable in many other things. I came out completely ready to go conquer the world. Data on the pirates worst enemies, like the crew of the Outlaw Star, data on how to-" he was cut off as Ula spun around and pushed him against the wall, harder than necessary. "Ow! Ula, what are you-?"

"Data on the Outlaw Star! Like what?"

"Mostly combat orientated, but some other useful things, like general likes and dislikes, habits, such things like that. For example, Gene Starwind likes to frequent bars, fine eateries, and brothels. Jim Hawking is probably the hardest working member of the crew, and 'Twilight' Suzuka and Aisha Clan-Clan drift in and out as they please. Why are you so- oh my God!" he whispered. "You're Aisha's sister?"

Ula nodded. "What do you know about my older sister, combat wise?"

"She works mainly hand-to-hand, like all C'tarl-C'tarl. She is exceptionally strong, and is not afraid to change into her alternate form. Her weaknesses are pride, and loss of energy. With hardened skin, best weapon to use: either a high-powered rifle, something like a fifty caliber, with armor piercing rounds, or an acid-edged titanium steel knife."

"Why do you know these things. And why the pirates?"

"The Kei Pirates made me and my dead friends using the Galactic Leyline. But we rebelled, not wanting to fight for them. And so we were hunted."

"In what condition do they want the crew of the Outlaw Star?" Ula demanded, still not letting go of Tristan's shirt.

"Why-? Never mind. Okay, Gene Starwind: Dead or Alive, preferably dead; Jim Hawking: Dead or Alive, doesn't matter; Suzuka and Aisha: Dead at all costs; and Melfina: Alive at all costs. The XGP must remain battle salvageable. But like I said, I don't want to fight them, so my friends and I left the Kei Pirate Gang!" Tristan growled, growing slightly angry.

"What if you would do that for me? Would you do the same for me?" Ula asked, her eyes desperate.

At first Tristan was shocked beyond words. _Why the hell would she want her own sister dead?_ "It depends on your reason."

"The C'tarl-C'tarl Empire said it was the only way I could go back to the Empire, and it was the only way my family could be freed from the Pirates! The XGP and Melfina could be used as bargaining chips! Please Tristan! It may be the only way I can save my family and honor!"

"I'll think about it, Ula. But my data is ten years old. Who knows what has happened?" Needless to say, it was a very quiet dinner.


	7. Off to Heifong

**AN-I don't own Outlaw Star. My story merely takes place in that universe.**

**So please, enjoy.**

**And please review!**

CHAPTER SEVEN

Ula woke up to the sound of gunfire. She kept her eyes closed as her ears twitched, trying to find the source of the noise, and trying to decide whether or not it was time to fight. When she pinpointed the sound to the firing range, she sat up. Throwing on a set of sweat clothes she made her way out of her room, and towards the sound.

When she reached the long room, she opened the door to see Tristan hunched behind a machine gun, firing at a small but thick plate of steel. He finished off the belt of ammo, and the steel plate came forward, showing plenty of dents and scratches, and quite a few holes in it. "No, C'tarl-C'tarl skin is just that strong, I need them _all _to go through," he muttered to himself, shaking his head. "Load another," he said out loud as he moved to a new gun.

The new gun was set in a bull-pup manner, with a long magazine behind the trigger. And it looked different from the three other weapon systems which were set up in a row. Another steel plate popped out of the floor. Tristan lay prone behind the weapon, and aimed. He gently caressed the trigger, and instead of the loud blasts that Ula expected, it instead gave out a rapid ft-t-t-t-t-t-t! as the rounds flew out of the end of the weapon. A heat wave appeared above the barrel, and a strange whining was heard from the weapon. None of the rounds punched through the steel.

"Sound test for low velocity rounds: check." Tristan then fiddled with the weapons controls, and braced himself again. P-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-pop! Now the rifle sounded like popcorn popping, probably as the rounds broke the speed barrier. But what was clearly heard was the rapid TINK! as the bullets passed clean through the steel plate.

"Armor piercing test: check," Tristan said softly. "Recoil is minimal, and barrel climb is also minimal, due to gyroscopic tendencies of the magnetic propulsion. Now testing full-auto fire." Again Tristan fiddled with the controls, and when he pulled the trigger, Ula couldn't distinguish the sound of one round firing with the next. In less than two seconds, the entire magazine was emptied. "Fifty round magazine runs dry in roughly two seconds on full-auto, so be careful. Despite being four millimeter, these rounds are powerful, so don't go wasting all your ammo because you can."

"What is that?" Ula asked.

Tristan jumped as he turned, and smiled when he saw her. "I'm just testing my best weapons to see which would work against the crew of the Outlaw Star. So far the gauss rifle is the best. I'll have to run it through tests using different sorts of rounds and against different types of defenses."

"Why were you talking to yourself? And how does that rifle work?"

Tristan turned his head, showing a small earpiece and microphone that was mounted on a stick. "I was recording my observations." He picked up the gauss rifle. "This rifle uses a gasless propulsion system made up of magnetic coils that run all down the barrel. It's kinda like the trains back in the twenty-first terran century, only with much more powerful magnets." Ula nodded in understanding

"Where normal power sources would be an electric battery, or something of the kind, I designed this rifle to be run on a nuclear battery. It is fusion powered, not fission, so don't worry about it being dangerous if it gets damaged. Anyway, the gauss rifle is a magnetic linear accelerator, also known as a 'rail gun'. Once I pull the trigger, the first magnet starts to spin, causing the bullet to accelerate down the barrel. On single shot, the first magnet simply stops spinning after the bullet passes, while the rest of the magnets spin at slightly higher speeds, making the round go faster and faster. When firing in burst mode, the magnets simply keep on spinning, but at much higher speeds than the magnet before it, so that the magnetism going forward is much greater than the magnetism going back. Get me so far?"

"Yeah, I think so. So basically the magnets pull harder than the previous magnets, making the round go super fast, right?"

"Correct. You can control how fast the magnets spin, therefore controlling their pulling force, therefore?" he asked slyly.

"Therefore…controlling how fast the round goes?"

"Good! And the really handy thing about the gauss rifle is it depends on magnetism for propulsion, not gas powered, like with gunpowder. As long as the bullet has a metal core, it can be fired. I hope to sell my design to the Space Forces one day. It is more dependable than a gun powder weapon, in the respects that it is quieter, doesn't have an action and therefore doesn't need to be cleaned, has much smaller bullets that can be fired at varying velocities, and any rifle can use any round that is compatible for this weapon system, be it tranquilizer, explosive, smoke, incendiary, paint, basically anything. And it is better than hand held energy weapons because it is much cheaper, uses a smaller energy signal, and is less bulky."

"I heard you talking about gyroscopes. What do you mean?"

"Geez, you really are interested by this, aren't you?" he asked, getting an emphatic nod in return. "Well, since the magnets spin, they create a gyroscopic effect, steadying the barrel. The barrel doesn't climb, drop, or drift left or right. Really, if you are aiming at something, it's going to get hit. The one I've got right now, I like to call Supergun. It comes with a bipod, ultraviolet laser, a scope with two, six, ten, and sixteen magnification. The scope can also see in both the ultraviolet and infrared spectrums, and has a target classifier. It has sensors that take readings on both the atmospheric pressure and the wind speed and direction, as well as a thermometer. It has a heavy barrel, and an adjustable stock, as well as a stock mount that can fit either a grenade launcher or a shotgun attachment. These both fit over the bipod, as long as it is folded. It is compatible with both a regular magazine and a drum magazine. In other words, it is the best infantry weapon one can have. It cost me over two million wongs to have it created and to have all records of its existence destroyed. Oh, and as a side note: the battery is chargeable."

Ula stayed quiet for a few seconds before she spoke again. "So you have decided to capture the Outlaw Star, haven't you?" Suddenly her eyes showed hope and determination. "To help me save my family?"

Tristan sighed, and put the rifle down. "What if your family was already dead?" He hated seeing the spark of hope die in her eyes like that. "Listen…I looked up a C'tarl-C'tarl report that said that the Clan-Clan family was reported to have been killed by Kei Pirates. Both Aisha and Ula Clan-Clan were reported missing, assumed dead. The only reason I suspected this was that some two months ago the C'tarl-C'tarl Empire was royally pissed about something or other. I myself was stopped six times and nearly arrested twice."

The shock on her face was undeniable. "M-mama?" she croaked, tears springing to her eyes. "Papa?" she started sobbing. Tristan stepped closer to her, and reached a hand out to her, hoping to comfort her. But she slapped his hand away from her as hard as she could. "Stay away!" she snarled, voice throaty with utter sadness.

He backed away. There was nothing as dangerous as an emotionally stressed C'tarl-C'tarl female. "Look, I'll research it further. Melanie is looking into it right now, as we speak. I even prevented her going into ether-drive so the communication connection wouldn't be endangered. I will not rest until it is confirmed!"

Hours later, Tristan was hunched over the computer, his hands flying over the keyboard in a blur. Very shortly his suspicions would be confirmed, and they could head to Heifong III, hopefully to make contact with Gene and Company. A new window popped up on the screen, and he looked at it tiredly before his eyes snapped open in shock.

**Reply for information request on Clan-Clan family:**

**Family is NOT definitely dead. Aisha and Ula are the only ones whose current conditions are not definite. Mother and Father have unknown positions, but are most certainly alive. C'tarl-C'tarl Empire abandoned search for them, and are instead trying to locate daughters. Unconfirmed reports of possible ransom being called for by Kei Pirate Gang, but demands are unknown, and as stated this is unconfirmed. If you have information on any of this, please reply at the following link:**

Tristan ignored the rest of the page, and instead highlighted the data he needed, and printed it out. Clutching the paper in his hands, he practically flew to Ula's room. Skidding to a halt before the door, he slammed his fist against the cool steel.

"Go away!" came the muffled reply. Even through the door, it sounded teary.

"I found something out about your family! It's-"he started.

"Dammit, I said go away! You think I want to hear any more 'good' news?" he heard her roar. He groaned, and nodded to one of Melanie's helpers. The ship started to hum as the Manchusen Drive kicked up. He sighed, before testing the door. It was locked.

"It says your parents are still alive!"

The sobbing halted, and there was a flurry of movement from the other side. The door cranked open, and Ula stood there, covered in nothing but her sweatpants and a bra. She snatched the paper from his hands, her red rimmed and watery eyes scanning the paper. He concentrated on not gawking at her great figure. _Get your mind out of the gutter, Tristan!_ he berated himself.

With a shout, she leapt upon him, smothering him with kisses. _Sometimes she acts just like a sixteen year old. Not that I really mind that,_ he smiled to himself. He was happy to have her strong arms and warm body around him once more. "Thankyouthankyouthank!" Ula was practically squealed in happiness.

"Entering ether drive in five, four, three, two, one. Activating Manchusen Drive," Melanie said calmly. The ship roared, and lurched. Tristan was finally accepting his destiny, confronting Gene Starwind just as he was made to do. Only this time he would be fighting to earn Gene's respect, and hopefully his allegiance. It was time to rescue Ula's parents.


	8. Bird Hunting

**AN- Disclaimer: I don't own Outlaw Star, but am instead using that universe as a backdrop for my story.**

**Enjoy, and please review!**

CHAPTER EIGHT

Heifong III was a decidedly nice place. With large cities, it was a great place to set up small man team ambushes. As Tristan had done. He had gone through a lot of trouble getting everything just right, and had rented a room that had a nice view of a road leading to the spaceport and had an overlook on a bar Gene was supposed to frequent. To be ward off suspicions as to what he was really doing, he had made up 'business' to do whenever he wasn't on the top of the apartment complex with his gauss rifle, waiting for the right time. Thankfully the building was only five stories high, and had an excellent firing angle on the road below and several building around the street.

"Ula, how are you doing?" Tristan asked quietly into the one-eared handless radio. He smoothly glanced around the street, not making any jerky movements to draw attention to his position. He was right in front of the top of the stairwell, which jutted out of the building, hiding his position. He crept back slowly, and readjusted the brick colored scarf that covered most of his face. All his clothes were colored the dusty red, helping hide his body even more. "Ula, report," he said, a little bit more urgently. He slid smoothly back into position.

"The bird has left the coop, along with the whole flock. They are headed your way, so make sure the binoculars and camera is ready," he heard Ula say. She had a full sized radio, and was a 'bird-watcher' that was classifying which birds were native to Heifong, and which weren't.

"When will they be flying over?" he asked, just in case someone was actually listening to their conversation.

"ETA about ten minutes. They seem to be taking their time."

He chuckled softly. "Roger, follow them. These guys are really rare, and I don't want to lose them. And be careful! These birds are extremely skittish, as well as territorial. They will either attack or flee if they notice you're following them"

"Gotcha. Don't worry about me."

Tristan just sighed, and was glad the sun was setting behind him. Now it would be even harder for someone to spot him, with the sun blinding them. He scanned the street again, and noticed seven faces that seemed to be doing the same thing he was. He zoomed in on one of their faces. If he had to guess, he would say either Kei pirates, or a rival outlaw team. _Back off, this birdie is my prey, not yours!_

Just to pass the time, he monitored them, noting their positions, and their actions. Four on the street, too tense to be just everyday people, and anyway, they had arrived two days after he did. Two playing cards in a room above the bar, which was just a bad place to be. If the Outlaw Star crew managed to get inside the bar, those guys were finished, unless they had a security detail inside of the bar, which was a probability. The last guy was pacing around on top of a building opposite across the bar. He had been there all day, making his movements tired and testy. He should have switched positions with another guy a few hours ago. God, if these guys were military they would have been screamed at by the drill instructor.

"The birds are flying over your street, so be ready," Ula said, her voice much quieter. The possible hostiles tensed up immediately. _Shit, they _are_ enemies! _he growled to himself. The one on the roof knelt down, and picked up a heavy rocket launcher. Tristan immediately drew a bead on him, sighting the man's head. He released a single sub-sonic round, but a blue shimmering deflected the round.

"Light-shield! Ula, we've got hostiles, be careful," he smiled as he switched to full auto. Not even a light-shield could stop fifty rounds hitting the same spot. He depressed the trigger, and the rifle pushed against his shoulder lightly, the rounds flitting out with those small tks. The enemy man dropped with a puff of red mist as his head was hit with dozens of rounds. He died silently.

Tristan loaded a mag of explosive rounds, and checked out the crew of the Outlaw Star. So far they hadn't changed their posture. There was Gene, Melfina, who was heavy with child, Aisha, Suzuka, and…where was Jim? Oh wait, they had aged ten years. Jim would be grown up by now. He immediately spotted him, his mind instantly filing away Jim's new appearance. Wow, he looked about as strong as Gene, with tawny hair still mussed up.

He shifted over to the pirates still in the bar, who were talking into a radio, and glancing up to where rocket boy was dead. The two pirates shrugged, and pulled out fully automatic assault rifles. "Gene, you owe me," Tristan whispered as he switched to five round burst. He aimed the scope over the window, and started firing as quickly as possible, shifting the rifle about, doing more overall damage than fine shooting. The shells slammed into the bar with loud cracklings and poppings like those heard from firecrackers.

Outlaw Star Crews' POV:

"Gene, we are being watched," Suzuka said quietly.

Gene tensed up slightly, and his hand slowly went to his pistol. "Where?" he asked calmly, trying to appear relaxed.

"A C'tarl-C'tarl has been following us, and there are at least six other people around the area of the bar. Be ready."

Aisha smiled and cracked her knuckles. "Good, I need some excitement," she snickered. "I can't wa-!"

**BlamboomcrackblamcrablamdoomBLAM**! the rooms above the bar exploded in flashes of light and noise. "Holy shit!" Jim shouted as he drew his own handgun. Four other people also drew weapons, and charged out from underneath the awning over the sidewalk. Two of them looked up at the ruined mess of what had been a room as it exploded into flames.

"Melfina, get behind me!" Gene shouted as he raised his pistol to aim at one of the enemies. But before he could pull the trigger, the man dropped, his hands grasping at his chest, where blood started to spurt out. _Where are the gun reports? Where is the noise? _Gene wondered in panic as he had Melfina take cover in a building behind him. "Jim, keep with her!" he snapped. There was no way he would lose his first child only a few months before it was due.

The street erupted into chaos, people running about, screaming in blind fear. In the stampede, Gene lost sight of the last three men. "Aisha, take them! Suzuka, do you know-?"

"Where the sniper is?" she asked, grinning slyly. "Don't worry, I'll take him!" She disappeared in a flash of movement.

Tristan's POV:

Shit! He had managed to kill four of the seven, not counting the reinforcements bound to show up, but he couldn't find either the last three, or Suzuka. It looked like Aisha was going for the pirates he missed, but it was Suzuka he was worried about. He folded up the bipod of the rifle, and slung the eight pound weapon across his back. "Ula, the situation is compromised; we're getting out of here. Fall back, now!"

"That is no longer a concern of yours, whether you wish it to be or not," said a female's voice, and Tristan turned, quickly and smoothly. "For those who attack me or my friends will perish."

"Ah, Twilight Suzuka," Tristan mused. "Your name matches your beauty." He glanced down at the street where Aisha was tearing one of the pirates limb from limb. "But you and I are alike, for we both deal in death. Are we truly enemies? I think not, for if we were, you would have died by my hand long ago."

"Is that a threat? Know this: I can kill you before you can unsling that rifle. And just because you know my name doesn't mean I can't figure out yours." They both stared at each other for several long moments. A slight gust of wind hit the rooftop and they both moved in the same instant. Tristan felt the nylon of the strap for the Supergun burn against his shoulder as he snapped the rifle to his shoulder. Suzuka moved just as fast as he, and he felt the smooth wooden edge of her sword against his throat just as he snapped off the safety. The gauss rifle was aimed directly between her eyebrows.

"I win Suzuka. Even with your immense strength, you would need to swing that sword, not poke with it. All I have to do is squeeze my finger, and I would not want to see your brains become part of the roof decoration." He grinned brazenly at her rage. "And you weren't as fast as you said. Getting old?"

"Silence. I will not tolerate that type of insult. My honor won't allow it, and I would have to strike." She hissed in sudden pain as her knee came into contact with the rifle's butt. Before she had even recovered, the rifle was back to aiming at her head.

"Good, I was hoping you weren't solely dependent on that sword. But attacking when you think my guard is down, by trying to knee me in the groin? That's just idiocy," he growled. "Now, if you insist on a duel, then we will do it properly, on equal weapon basis. Agreed?" When Suzuka nodded, Tristan lifted the rifle up off of her head. "I would suggest walking off the pain in your knee. And I ask you on your honor to not destroy my rifle. It is just as precious to me as your bokuto is to you." Again she nodded. "Excellent!"

Tristan folded out the bipod on the rifle, and gently lay it down upon the ground. He also began walking around the rooftop, testing its gravelly texture, moving in a slow circle around Suzuka, who was also moving around.

"You said we would fight on an equal weapon term. What are your weapons?" the assassin asked.

Tristan smiled, and drew two kodachis from their sheaths crossed across his lower back. The swords were shorter than a full sized katana yet larger than the short sword wakizashi. Kodachis were also known as shield swords. He twirled them expertly in his hands, and flipped the left kodachi so that the blade was pointing down.

Suzuka scoffed. "You cannot expect to defeat me at my own game!"

"Sorry lady, but I don't die easily. And I'm quite proficient with swordplay, especially with two blades." He bowed lightly to Suzuka, his eyes always on her. "My name is Tristan, and I wish we didn't have to do this duel. I am not your enemy."

"My name is 'Twilight' Suzuka, and you don't have the ability to grant that wish. It is your time to die." She now had the death calmness about her, and was perfectly ready for combat. She started slowly forward, and burst into a charge.

Tristan also snapped into action, leaping into the air to execute a vicious double slash. His blades both met hard wood, and were repelled. Suzuka's bokuto melted into a rapid blur, and she was suddenly past him, her sword held in the ready stance.

Tristan dropped to his knees, and suddenly threw up blood. His hand clutched his side, and he quivered in pain. "What…the hell…was that?" he gasped, looking at his blood that was spattered on the roof dizzily.

"That was Crimson, and you should be dead. Why aren't you?"  
"Because I am better than what you have faced before," he hissed between clenched teeth. His entire body screamed with pain. "Because, I am not your enemy." He stood up, clenching his swords with white-knuckled fists. "And because you underestimated me." He brought his swords up. "Let's go."

Suzuka charged again, but Tristan stood his ground, his swords set at the ready stance. Again Suzuka tried to do Crimson, but Tristan threw out his arm, blocking the attack with his left sword. He spun hard, his other blade flitting out to cut against Suzuka's leg. But she dodged, and the sword barely touched her kimono.

Suzuka pushed hard with her sword, and then swung as hard as she could, sending a wave of energy crashing into Tristan, sending him skidding back towards the roof's edge. Tristan barely managed to keep his balance, flailing his arms to keep on the roof. Suzuka took advantage of this by charging and hitting him with her sword, pushing him off the edge of the roof. He flipped backwards, and saw the ground starting to rush him…


	9. The Meaning of Pain

**AN- Finally, I got this done! Disclaimer: I don't own Outlaw Star, and am instead using that universe as a backdrop for my story.**

**Enjoy, and please review!**

CHAPTER NINE

Tristan frantically slammed his blades into the wall, and slowly screeched to a halt. He coughed weakly as his chest slammed against the brick wall. "Geez," he gasped. He looked down to the ground, and saw it was maybe thirty feet below him.

He pulled out both his blades, and reversed one so the edge was pointing down, letting him slowly squeal down another ten feet. Once he was two stories high, he kicked off from the wall, and flipped backwards as he fell down rapidly. He landed hard on his feet and rolled before he stopped, bringing his swords up. He looked up to the roof to see Suzuka look down at him before she turned and started heading down the stairs.

Tristan heard a loud clack behind him, and turned in shock to see Gene lower his caster to aim directly at him. "Oh, shit!" he shouted in surprise as Gene pulled the trigger.

"That's right, ya bastard!" Gene shouted as the gun bucked wildly in his hand, negative energy flaring out the sides of the weapon. _A number four?_ Tristan asked himself in shock. Suddenly the caster kicked up hard as the black ball flew out of the barrel. Tristan crossed his blades in front of him desperately as the shell reached him.

Tristan's vision grew dim as the shell hit his shield, and burned against it. Tristan shouted out in anguish as his energy was depleted rapidly, and his arms shook with the strain of keeping the black sphere away from him. Black lightning leapt from the shell, and latched onto Tristan. _Gods no!_ he shouted urgently to himself. "I can't die here, not now!" he hissed as he threw his remaining energy into the last desperate gamble.

Suddenly the black ball exploded, hurling Tristan way and into the apartment wall, cracking into the bricks. He dropped to his knees, clutching his sides in agony. He threw up, blood coloring the bile. Everything was fuzzy in his sight,so he couldn't see clearly. Blood dripped onto the concrete sidewalk, and Tristan dimly touched beneath his nose. His fingers came away red. His ears were bleeding too. Always analytical, he realized he suffered some serious damage because of Gene. He didn't notice the sudden blur of movement from his right until it was too late.

Suzuka's sword slammed underneath his chin, sending him flying into the wall again, and he skidded along it before collapsing onto the ground. He gasped with pain as he unsteadily got to his feet again, leaning painfully against the wall. Suzuka darted forward, and slammed her blade against his stomach, making him double over.

Gene's POV:

He almost felt sorry for the man who had attacked them. Sure he was strong to be able to actually block the number four shell, even though the shell had burned of his jacket and shirt, but he was exhausted now, and couldn't even block against Suzuka's attacks, and she wasn't going to let up. He winced as the man was caught in the stomach with the sword. As the man doubled over, he noticed four slashes across his lower back which looked oddly familiar.

"Hey, those look like C'tarl-C'tarl wounds," Jim noted, and Aisha dropped the mangled body of the pirate she was working on as she looked up.

"Yeah, but a proud C'tarl-C'tarl would attack the neck, not the lower back," she stated fiercely. But her eyes suddenly showed confusion. "Unless…"

"Unless what?" Jim asked as the man got slammed in the forehead, blood splashing into the air wetly.

"I know of one C'tarl-C'tarl who liked attacking the stomach and lower back. She said it was to be unique."

"Who?" The man screamed in agony as Suzuka caught him hard in the side. He could endure a lot, that was for sure.

"My sister, Ula Clan-Clan." She opened her mouth to speak again, but someone hit her hard on the back of the head, hard enough to send her flying thirty feet before slamming into the ground. The person darted forward, and caught Suzuka with a low tackle.

Tristan's POV:

He stood again, and watched with amazement as Ula tried to stop Suzuka. Unfortunately strength was no match for speed. He winced as Ula got hit rapidly seven times. Ula hissed in pain as she was caught hard against the side of the head, in the side, and on the shoulder in another rapid strike.

He struggled to his feet as Ula dropped to her knees. He leapt to forward as Suzuka drew back her blade for a final strike. Her bokuto shimmered as she put her aura into the blade. But as she swung forward, he stopped her blade with the back of his fist.

"Don't!" he snapped as he threw back the wooden sword. "I'm ready for round two! You had better be as well!"

She smirked, and spun as she brought her sword around the slam him hard again in the ribs. But he blocked as hard as he could, and grinned as his blade actually cut into the sword. "Kodachi Nito-ryu!" he shouted as he slammed his other sword on top of his first, forming an X. The additional power of the sword easily cut the bokuto in half, and Suzuka stumbled back in shock, looking at her destroyed sword in amazement.

"That was supposed to be impossible! My sword shouldn't have broken while I held it, when I infused it with my chi!"

"Well, anything is possible, right?" he snapped as he charged towards the assassin. He spun, and threw all his weight into a short elbow jab which caught her in the chest, knocking her down and rendering her breathless.

As she lay there, he placed his swords on either side of her neck like a giant pair of scissors. "This is Goko Juji! It will decapitate you with the slightest twist of my wrists. Knowing this, will you yield?" he snarled.

Suzuka looked at him, shock coloring her eyes. "You won't kill me?"

Tristan sighed and dropped his head. When he looked up, anger and exasperation was etched on his face. "NO! I never even wanted to kill you! Hell, I saved your life, or at least helped you in your fight by taking out four people of seven! Why can't you people understand I just wanted to talk to you?"

"What?" she asked confusedly.

"I have a proposition for you, and I wish you would listen, not fight me. Hell, I never _ever_ wanted to cross swords with-"

Ka-BLAM! Tristan's head snapped back as the pistol round connected with his forehead. The force of the shot sent him into the air, and his senseless hands dropped the swords as he collapsed onto the street, blood pouring from the wound.

Ula's eyes widened with horror. "TRISTAN!" she screamed in anguish as she leapt to her feet. She landed next to Tristan's fallen body, and she picked him up with shaking hands. Cradling his limp body in her arms, she glared accusingly at the crew of the Outlaw Star, who had all come up to the two people. "Why?" she sobbed, tears running down her face.

Gene holstered the smoking pistol as he sighed. "He tried to kill us."

"No!" Ula began to laugh hysterically. "No, he didn't! He was made to kill you at least five years ago, most likely longer than that. But did he ever bother you? Did he?" she cried angrily. "He only came here because _I _demanded it! It's my fault," she whispered to the body she held in her hands. "I killed you!" Her hands gently stroked the sweaty and bloody hair of Tristan. His face looked so peaceful, eyes gently closed, not even a grimace of fear or pain on his face.

"Okay, if he didn't want to kill us, than what was he doing here?" Gene demanded hotly, trying to avoid the fact that he had just murdered someone.

"He came because Aisha's and my family is being held by pirates! He was going to ask you for your help!" Ula bellowed, her emerald eyes flashing dangerously. "But you murdered him! Now, I'll never forgive you. Now, I'll kill you!" She gently laid Tristan's limp body onto the ground, and smiled as she listened to distant police sirens. "Not even the police will save you. No army could save you now." She stepped over Tristan, and snapped her hands out, knuckles cracking. "When my sister fought you, heh, she wasn't even trying." Her face rose, and Gene stepped back at the look of pure fury in her eyes. "Now you'll see the power of an infuriated and despaired C'tarl-C'tarl. You die where you stand!"

Aisha stepped in front of her sister. "Look, little sister, I really don't want to have to hurt you. But Gene is my friend, and I won't stand by-"

"You would defend a _murderer_? Where is your honor? And if you fight me, it will be you who will be hurt. Don't get in my way!" Ula hissed as her nails grew into hardened claws.

Aisha just laughed. "I always beat you when we sparred. What makes you think-" Aisha was suddenly cut off as Ula leaped into the air and tore her claws down through her sister's face. Aisha yelled in shock and pain as her blood splashed onto the ground. Before she could retaliate, however, Ula grabbed her by the throat, her nails digging through the skin and into the neck.

"Yield, and live. Refuse, and die!" When Aisha didn't answer, Ula just scoffed. "Fine!" she roared as she threw her arm down hard, slamming Aisha's head into the asphalt. She released her bloody grip, and stood, leaving the body of her sister in the road.

Before she could take one more step towards Gene, Jim jumped in front of her, and raised his hands. "Please, is there anything we can do to appease you?" he begged desperately.

"Bring Tristan back to me!" she said coldly, sizing Jim up.

"What if…?" a voice coughed behind her. "What if I never died in the first place?"

With a gasp, Ula whirled about, and looked at an unbelievable sight. Tristan was standing! Albeit a bit weakly, but there he was, gently touching the wound upon his forehead. He winced as his fingers came away bloody. "Damn, Gene, what the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking you were a pirate, and therefore must die."

"B-b-buh…h-how…wh-what?" Ula stuttered. "I-I saw you die!"

Tristan looked at her blankly for a few seconds before he grinned. "I can take a lot of abuse. My bones are sheathed in a light-yet-strong titanium alloy. Good enough to dumb down strikes from blades, clubs, and bullets. Saved my life a couple of times, that's for sure." His gaze fell upon the body of Aisha. "Jesus, you can do a lot when enraged." He strode weakly over to the C'tarl-C'tarl, and pulled her head out of the road. He checked her pulse, and looked up to Ula. "Good news is: she's alive, but unconscious. You hit her hard."

Ula bit her lip nervously. "What's the bad news?"

"She is goin' t'be pissed when she wakes up. I'd be careful if I was y'all," he drawled amusedly.

The sudden sound of screeching tires brought everyone out of their own little world. Seven cop cars had surrounded the group, and the cops came out guns drawn. "That's it Starwind! This is the last straw!" one shouted angrily.

Tristan walked back over to his swords, ignoring the fact that the police all drew a bead on him. "You! Boy! Stop right there, and put your hands behind your head!" Tristan kept on walking. He reached his swords, and picked them up, sheathing them. "Remove those swords from your person!"

He turned towards the cops. "Look, fellas. I can explain. My name is Tristan Westell, and I am a registered bounty hunter and assassin. I have hunted the pirates now lying dead around you. As far as I know, no civilians were hurt in my 'transgressions', and that building is the only one that was damaged. I'll be more than happy to compensate for any damage done to the bar."

The police looked at each other in confusion, not sure what to make of this smooth talking man. "What happened to your head?" a rookie asked.

"I was shot," Tristan replied smoothly. The rookie's mouth fell open in shock. "Well, I was estimating that the bar suffered two million wong in damage, and I owe you police fifty thousand wong."

"Whoa, that's way too much," one of the sergeants started. "That bar is onl-" he was stopped when his partner nudged him in the ribs.

Tristan almost wanted to laugh. Living alone and hunting some of the higher level bounties got him a bunch of money, and he wasn't concerned about it if it went to places he wanted it too. The price he mentioned was barely a tenth of his overall funds. He had already spent six thousand wong getting his ship re-outfitted with food and supplies. Living with a C'tarl-C'tarl could be quite expensive.

He activated his computer, and first sent the money to the police, and then to the bar. He watched as the police checked to make sure he did, their faces set in disbelief. If you want to get away with something, give away a lot of money, and smooth talk your way through things. "Well, I'm sure that the bar can now properly renovate its building, and the police can upgrade their equipment again. I'm sure there are no hard feelings between you and the crew of the Outlaw Star, right?"

The police shook their heads no. One looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry sir, but we'll need to check your papers. Standard procedures."

Tristan smiled in understanding. "Of course, I was wondering when you were going to ask." He pulled a computer disk from his back pocket, and handed it to the nearest police officer. While they were checking it out, Tristan continued on with business. "You might want to send the morgue people, as well as a Special Weapons Recovery Team. Not only are there dead pirates, but the one on the roof of the building over there is carrying an APR-260, which I am sure is an illegal rocket launcher, at least on Heifong, am I right?"

The police looked at him in shock. The APR-260 was a very powerful and dangerous weapon that could fire both standard _and _nuclear rockets. "I'll look into it sir! You clear out, everyone can go."

Tristan waved goodbye as the police sped off, and he turned back towards Gene and his friends. They were all looking at him in shock, utter amazement etched on their faces, even Suzuka's. "How can you just throw away two plus million wong like that?" Jim asked in shock. "I mean, come on! That's not fair! We just barely managed to pay off Fred Lou two months ago."

Melfina peeked her head around the corner of the building she was hiding behind. Once she saw everything was all right, she ran up to join the rest of the crew. "Man, you really pulled my bacon outta that fire. I owe you!" Gene sighed thankfully.

"Damn right you do! I'm going to have a headache for days now," Tristan growled. "Look, I have a business proposition for you…"


	10. A Challenge?

**AN- Wow, here's a story I haven't touched in ages. Sorry about that. I have been so focused on my other story that this one just got shoved off to the side for a while. And I know a lot of people have read this story, and that many of you haven't reviewed, a case that I am used to. But please, review for this chapter and tell me if I should continue this fic. I give you a month.**

**So please, read, enjoy, decide, and review.**

CHAPTER TEN

"So let me get this straight. You were made some eight years ago through the Galactic Leyline to kill us, but you refused, making you enemies of the Kei Pirates. The last of your friends were killed five years ago, and you have wandered around, fighting the Kei Pirates and taking bounties. Now you want us to help you rescue the Clan-Clan family, right?" Gene asked.

They were in the galley of the Outlaw Star, and everyone was seated around the large table. All except Aisha, who was in the med-bay, having her face reconstructed. "Yeah, that about sums it up," Tristan said casually. He took apart and reassembled one of his pistols in twelve seconds. It was a comfort thing.

"How did you resist that caster shell? No light shield could stand up to that."

"It wasn't a light shield. Among my inventory of abilities, I am also able to channel my chi into shields and other things. That caster shell was the toughest thing I've ever come up against; even I'm surprised I lived."

Melfina was looking at him with great interest. "It is amazing to know that I am not alone in terms of how advanced I am." Her eyes sparkled. "Truly amazing. I'm not as alone as I thought."

"Well, in terms of overall advancement, I couldn't really say we are equal. You had the power to activate the Galactic Leyline, I don't. But in terms of combat, I outrank you. Which doesn't really come as a surprise." He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes wearily. "Oh, and by the way, how is the child? Do you know what it is yet?"

Gene laughed, a deep rich sound. "The thing is, 'it' is not singular. Melfina is carrying twins, a boy and a girl. She is expecting to have them in about two months."

"Good news for all," Tristan sighed as he sank deeper into the chair. He still had his eyes closed, and seemed to fall asleep. Jim opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, a look of wariness across his face. "What is it, Jim?" Tristan asked from his relaxed position.

Jim started in surprise, but asked his question anyway. "What weapon were you using? I've never seen anything like it, and it seemed absolutely advanced, as advanced as you can get without using an energy weapon."

"Ah yes, my gauss rifle. I'll give you the plans and description via email, as long as you swear not to make one, and to not sell the plans to someone else. But if you have any wonderful ideas on how to make it better, then please, tell me. If it is able to be incorporated into the design, I'll enter a partnership with you, and we can get filthy rich off the patent!" he grinned wickedly.

Jim suddenly had a gleam in his eyes. "I can follow those rules easily. Prepare to be amazed, Tristan. But I still don't get how you did it."

"I was simply using subsonic rounds. It is adjustable, that's all."

"You can adjust how fast the rounds are fired? That's a stunning tactical advantage!"

"Yeah, well, that's not really important right now. What's important is whether or not you guys want to help."

Gene put on a thoughtful face. "Let's see, you want us to leave the planet we had finally become comfortable in, just to piss off the Kei Pirates even more than we already have, all for the sake of rescuing some C'tarl-C'tarl who probably hate us just as much as the Kei Pirates, and we probably won't even get any money out of it. What's the point?"

"The point is, Gene," Tristan started darkly. "You can't really piss off the Kei Pirates any more than you already have, you've already been attacked at least once on Heifong, Aisha would _so_ kill you if she heard you say that about the C'tarl-C'tarl, and I am willing to pay you whatever you want. Plus I've got some neat toys to play with."

"Toys?" Gene asked, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"Oh, you know. Guns, bullets, vehicles, things like that."

"Guns such as?" asked Gene as though he doubted Tristan's word.

"I have an entire armory full of weapons that I've designed inside of my starship."

"Vehicles?" asked Jim brightly.

"Yeah. Do you still have that Efrau?" he asked with a smug grin on his face.

"Sure I do. I wouldn't just get rid of a sweet ride like that!"

"How fast is she?"

"Faster than anything else on Heifong III!"

"Wanna bet?" Tristan asked, suddenly dead serious.

Everybody in the room froze. No one who had challenged Jim had lost in a race, and Tristan had just walked right into a challenge. "How much?"

"Everything you are willing to part with."

"That would be ten thousand wong," Jim said slowly.

"I'll triple that if I lose."

"Deal!"

Without another word the two shook hands. Jim looked Tristan straight in the eye. "Challenger chooses where."

"The highway. Start one mile out of town, and end one mile out of town on the opposite side. That's a good twenty miles through traffic."

"Sounds fun!" Jim quipped.

"And we have to follow only one set of rules, mainly for safety. We shouldn't go through red lights. You can but unless you want to risk your life, then I wouldn't."

Jim got a sudden gleam in his eyes. "Oh, it's on now."


	11. The Race

**AN- Alright, here you go. Tell me what you think!**

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Tristan heard a humming behind him grow louder and he turned around to see Jim driving up in his Efrau. The young man stopped the car beside Tristan, and turned it off, parking it. "That's what you're going to _beat_ me with?" he snorted.

Tristan sat astride his motorcycle, helmet already on. He tossed Jim an earpiece and tapped the side of his helmet. Once Jim had placed the device into his ear, Tristan spoke. "That earpiece is a comm device that is connected to the radio in this helmet. And yes, I plan to beat you with this motorcycle."

Jim snorted again. "Come on, it has wheels. Heck, it only has two of them! And I bet it runs on a liquid fuel, am I right?"

"Yeah, and your point is? It runs on pure hydrogen, and is faster than you think it is. It follows the basic design of the GSX 1300R Hayabusa 2006, a motorbike made on earth back at the beginning of the twenty-first century. And that bike was the fastest of its times!"

Another car arrived, this one a rental, and Gene hopped out with Ula. "Alright guys, what d'ya say we get this race started! Now, since I don't want to miss any action, you are gonna have a small camera mounted to your vehicle."

Tristan shook his head. "No way, Starwind. That camera goes on the side of my helmet. Give it here," he said as he held out his hands. Gene tossed one of the devices over, and Tristan smoothly caught the little camera. He attached it to a slot on his helmet, one that was originally intended for a flashlight, but it held the camera quite nicely.

A hand lay on his shoulder, startling him. He turned to see Ula looking at him, worry etched in her eyes. "Don't worry," he whispered.

"Alright!" Gene shouted as he pulled out his handgun. "The race begins when I fire, and ends when you pass where Suzuka waits outside the city. Gentlemen, start your engines."

Tristan twisted the key in the ignition, and the motorbike, which he had named Izanaga, roared to life. He revved the engine, adrenaline starting to course through his body. There was a high pitched hum as Jim started his own vehicle. The Efrau floated up from the ground, and Tristan barely heard Gene start shouting. "On my mark, _get set…_!" The dry crack of his pistol was heard and the Efrau rocketed forward as Tristan started fast as well.

Not fast enough to burn rubber, for he knew that would just waste time and gas. Instead he gradually accelerated until he was shifting from gear to gear in less than one second per gear. Hitting the clutch again, he bent down over the bike until he was almost tucked into it, making him more streamlined. He threw a careful glance at his speedometer, and grinned wickedly. 197mph and climbing.

The wind snapped at his clothing as he ripped down the highway, and he noticed with fierce glee that he was rapidly catching up to the Efrau. "Oh Ji-im!" he called in a singsong voice. "Look behind you."

Tristan was close enough that he could easily see the young man turn in his seat. A look of utter disbelief crossed Jim's face. "How the hell-!" he spluttered. Tristan pulled up next to him. They were entering the city.

Instantly Tristan opened up his awareness and made sure he was able to respond to anything instantly. At the speed he was going, there were no second chances. If he messed up, he was undoubtedly dead.

Two rental cars, lane to the left, he was coming up fast to them. Directly in front, a transport. From then on in, it was pure reflexes. Car! Truck! Hoverbike! He snapped left and right without a problem, scaring the living shit out of nearly everyone he passed.

Everything he saw he instantly analyzed and viewed his options. It was then that he saw Jim just ahead of him, as well as the traffic light just ahead of them turning from green to yellow. He cursed violently. Jim could stop the Efrau on a dime, though the restraining straps would leave large bruises on his shoulders and chest. Tristan _couldn't _stop on a dime, and if he did stop, then he would have to start the acceleration process all over again.

Speed: 208mph. The intersection was made of two highways crossing each other. At his speed, he'd blow through it in less than .09 seconds. But if he hit something, there would be no surviving it. He revved the engine as he popped a wheelie and went even faster.

Gene's POV:

He watched the screen that showed Tristan's camera footage with morbid amazement. Ula sat next to him, clenching her fists so hard that her knuckles were white, and her nails punctured her skin. She didn't notice, her eyes fixated on the screen.

When Gene saw the traffic light change from green to yellow and Tristan didn't slow down, he cursed. "He is _not _gonna try-!"

The camera view shifted wildly as Tristan accelerated so that he was on only one wheel. "God! Tristan, NO!" Gene shouted, not realizing that Tristan couldn't hear him. Gene could only watch with horror as Tristan sped towards his doom. Dread made his stomach plummet as the camera view looked to the right, revealing a huge truck barreling through the intersection. There was no way that Tristan could avoid it.

Tristan's POV:

_FUCK! There has to be a way! Thinkthinkthinkthink!_ It was then that he saw it. It was risky, but it was potentially the only thing that would save him from the massive cargo truck. He dropped back down onto both wheels, and kept the same speed, fear knotting his stomach, making it do odd flips and jumps. _NOW!_

He squeezed the brake handle for the rear wheel hard, locking it immediately. The bike started skidding, and he turned the handlebars to the side, barely slipping under the cargo truck. He felt the heat and electrical energy of one of its grav-lifts as he passed by it. If he had been directly below it, the energy would've ignited the fuel in his bike. He just barely survived.

But he was now ahead of Jim, and he planned to keep it that way. He hit the gas again, and he shot forward, speeding ahead to claim his victory. Jim Hawking was never so humiliated in his life…


	12. A New Crew

CHAPTER TWELVE

_Hot flesh slid over hot flesh. Hot and heady moans permeated the air. The two lovers on the bed increased the tempo, rocking against each other faster and faster. The female growled as the ecstasy she felt brought her more primal side to the fore. Her teeth elongated into fangs and her pupils narrowed into sharp slits._

_She moaned loudly as another wave of pleasure slammed into her. "Tristan!" she bellowed as an orgasm enveloped her. Her partner gasped as he also reached completion._

_He drew her into a tight embrace, listening to the thundering of both their hearts. "Ula," he breathed softly, "I love-"_

Tristan jerked awake, breathing heavily. He brought up a shaking hand to cover his eyes as he gave a weary sigh. It had been two weeks since his race with Jim, and the dreams he ad about Ula were getting worse and worse, in a sinfully good sort of way. He was so close to taking her. And what made it worse was that she also wanted it, which made it harder for him to resist. Soon he was going to snap, and personally, he couldn't wait.

But at the moment he had more important things to do. They were planetside, on a small rock named 886-945. The Outlaw Star was Lord knew where, but they were to meet at Heifong in ten days time. So Tristan only had those ten days to complete getting his crew.

He had put out flyers, and the day of the interviews was today. He only hoped that he would be getting decent sailors and explorers. Last thing he needed was a ship full of loonies.

Five Hours Later:

He stared at the blond man across the table at him steadily, ignoring the noises of the pub they were in. Ula sat next to him in her battle armor. "So…what's your name, and why do you think you are good enough for my ship?"

"Sir," the man started crisply, showing a military past. "My name is Cody Burns. I used to be part of the Imperial Navy, ranked Ensign."

Tristan stared at him, his mind trying to draw up any files about an Empire. "Imperial?"

"Sir, the Empire is located on the Outer Rim of Space Forces control. We are a strong people, and have a strong navy. One of our Battleships stopped by here recently, so be prepared to meet a lot of imperials."

Tristan blinked. He had heard rumors of a vast power rivaling that of the C'tarl-C'tarl Empire, but did not know that it actually existed. "Right. What was your job in this Imperial Navy?"

"Sir, I was in the Specialist Forces, like many of the Solomani people."

"Solomani?" Ula asked.

"People from Earth. They had a big war before most of everyone left. I didn't know that people still lived there."

Burns ducked his head down sadly. "We don't. We live in that solar system, but Earth is barren. But we are still strong. The Empire uses my people as their elite soldiers."

"Good. I need ground troops. Looks like you have a job. I'm the Captain of the starship Victorious, and my name is Tristan Westell. Welcome to the crew."

A few minutes later a beautiful woman was sitting in front of Tristan. Her hair was red and her features were pointed, almost elfin in nature. Her bright green eyes sparkled with intelligence. But there was something…off about her.

Before Tristan could speak, the woman had started. "You are in need of a pilot. I flew in the Imperial Navy, but wanted out because of all the prejudice I faced. My name is Jennifer Yumiko, though I am also known as Ace. While I can fly a starship, I started out as a fighter pilot.

"I resigned under the rank of lieutenant, the equivalent of captain in the ground forces. I have led two combat engagements: one battle, and one strike. I also participated in a siege. I have two Starbursts of Extreme Heroism, the highest Imperial military decoration, and one Medal of Conspicuous Gallantry, the second highest military award. And I have the highest record of kills for a fighter pilot in the Imperium."

"Which is?" Ula asked curiously.

"One hundred forty-three enemy fighters confirmed downed, twenty-three light assault craft, three cruisers, and one destroyer confirmed destroyed."

"You're hired," Tristan said.

Next came in a young woman who, though not a drop-dead beauty like Yumiko, was definitely beautiful in her own, somewhat plain way. She also had a very big and kind grin on her face whereas Yumiko had a sad and tired look about her.

"Hi!" she chirped cheerfully as she sat down. "I done heard that y'all needed a engineer?"

Tristan nodded as he absorbed what the girl had said. Her voice had no accent, but definitely showed that she lacked formal education. "Yeah, I do. Do you think you could be a good enough engineer for me?"

She scoffed good-naturedly. "I never gone to a fancy school, but I'm real good with engines. It's like they talk to me. I assure you that there ain't no better engineer in this subsector."

"What's your name?"

"My mom named me Samantha Rostalis, but you can call me Shiny. At least, that's what all the soldiers of the local cruiser I was stationed on done called me."

"You were in the navy?" Tristan asked.

"Sure was, Captain. I was a tech sarge, head of my engine compartment."

"Why are you called Shiny, though?"

"Because I like shiny things, Captain. I can't help myself sometimes."

"Interesting. You're hired, and if you head back into room one fifteen, you'll meet the rest of the crew."

Thirty Minutes Later:

Ula had left so she could get to the ship and prepare Melanie and the ship for the new crew. So far he had Burns, 'Ace' Yumiko, and 'Shiny' Rostalis. After them came Jacent 'Doc' Quahaiathat, the ship's doctor; one of what Tristan had hoped would be two ship's gunners, Kara Randgrior, who could also serve as a troop while they were planetside; the electrician Avaston 'Sparky' Gunn; and two more troops. Both were from the best Imperial military unit, the STAR Marines.

The two Special Tactical Armored Recon Marines were definitely some of the scariest individuals Tristan had met in a long time. You could almost see death looming behind them, waiting to do their will. They were perfectly in control of themselves, and their surroundings, and they only did what was needed, neither of them made any unnecessary movements.

One of them, Zac Darling, was supposedly a Shadow Master, the assassin sect of the STAR Marines. He almost was a shadow. And the other, Dariwyn Maedhros, a sniper from a planet in the Imperium called Polonaise. He had said, not boastfully but instead softly, that he had never missed a shot when it counted. And he said also that all shots counted. They were both signed up.

Tristan's attention was drawn to the man who had suddenly dropped himself into the chair. "Are you Captain of Victorious?"

"Yes."

"Good. Do you need a gunner?"

"Yes."

"Even better. I can also cook and I'm right mighty good with a gun. Can I join up?"

"Yes. You seem to be in a hurry. Might I ask why?"

"I slept with the wrong woman."

"Ah. Let's go then, I hate local squabbles."


	13. Dissension

**AN- Sorry the chaps have been shorter lately.**

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Tristan looked over the new members of the crew who had gathered in the cargo bay. Nine new people, making eleven in all. Burns, Ace, Shiny, Doc, Randgrior, Sparky, Shadow (Darling), Sniper (Maedhros), and the last one to join was Jayden 'Hotshot' Hendee. He wouldn't be surprised if some of the crew didn't know each other's real names, but instead their nick-names. He, of course, was dubbed 'Captain' or just 'Cap,' and Ula was nicknamed Leopard. She had been called Kitty at first, but Tristan put a quick stop to that. He didn't want her going on a killing spree.

"Alright, listen up!" he barked out, and the idle chatter immediately silenced. "You are now aboard the ship Victorious, which is run by the computer Melanie. Respect her, for she is AI. The galley is generally open at all times, but watch how much you eat. Eleven people can eat a whole bunch, and I don't want to have to stop for supplies every other week.

"You will all have shipboard duties, and there is a long and steady list of chores, believe you me. The schedule will be forwarded to the computer terminals in your quarters every morning, so be sure to look at them.

"This ship will be run as in the military, so I want complete discipline. I can literally kill any one of you before you ever saw me coming, and I will not hesitate to do so if I believe you are endangering either the crew, or my ship. Do not push me, or I will shove you out an airlock. I am the captain of this vessel, and all of my orders are to be followed immediately and without complaint. I know all about this ship, so my word is the word of God. Are there any questions?"

No one spoke for a while, and then Shiny raised her hand tentatively. "Uh, sir? When can we go to our workstations?"

"Right now. Melanie?" Immediately a bunch of her helpers zoomed down their service rails and began to lead the crew to their different stations. Tristan decided to follow Shiny into the engine bay. What he saw amazed him. The second she entered the room she walked up to the main engine unit and ran her hands up and down the body of it, all the while whispering to it. And not in an insane way.

Tristan smiled as he realized that he no longer owned the ship, in a sense. It was now Shiny's baby. "Wow, Cap! How did you manage to get a Duchrin Interceptor type A5? Only the military uses them engines! I've only seen one of them besides this one, and I've serviced hundreds, if not thousands of engines."

She puttered around the room, checking the different connections, sometimes even moving the cords and wires around, plugging them in different ports. Tristan could feel it in the ship; she was running a little bit smoother now. "You might want Sparky to get down here and take a look at things, as I ain't no electrician. But I like her, Cap. Me and her will have a good relationship, and I tellin' you right here and now, I'll keep us in the air where others wouldn't be able."

Tristan nodded. "Good. That's something I'm glad to hear. Well, I'm going to go see how Ace is doing. I'll send Sparky down here in a few."

"Sir!" Shiny said hesitantly. "I don' think you know, but Ace, she is a Zhodani."

Tristan looked at her in confusion. "Zhodani?"

"It mean she can read minds an' the like. I have no idea why she done be in the Imperial Navy, bu' you should watch out for her. Zhodani and Imperial hate on each other for centuries."

Tristan looked at her dryly. "I'll keep that in mind. Meanwhile, you should keep your focus on the ship's engines." When the young girl saluted, Tristan turned and ran as fast as he could for the cockpit. Not because he was going to arrest or even kill Jennifer. No, he was going to make sure she was okay.

If what was said was true…. he shook his head as he goaded his body faster. He could not let his pilot get killed just because of her heritage. He burst into the cockpit, and froze. Burns was standing with his back to him, a pistol lowered at Ace. The young lady was at her place in the pilot's seat, her hands raised calmly.

"Burns! What in the hell do you think you are doing!" Tristan roared.

"Sir, do you know what she is? She isn't human!"

"Neither am I!"

With that, Burns turned, a startled expression on his face. "Wha-?"

Ace was immediately moving, her right hand a blur as she vaulted with her left. Even as Burns brought up his pistol to fire, he was hit. Ace had thrown a long needle through the air, catching him directly in the right shoulder. Her accuracy was astounding, Tristan had to admit as Burns dropped his pistol, his right arm rendered completely limp by the simple weapon.

And before he had the chance to remove the long and thin piece of metal, Ace was already on him, her charge nothing but a blur. Before Burns could react, Ace hit him hard on the outer thigh with a sharp jab with her left hand while she held it in a rigid knife-hand form. Commonly mistaken for a 'karate-chop', the knife hand strike could be used as a deadly weapon, if a person could hold their hand rigid enough. Ace definitely could. Instead of striking with the side of her hand, she put all her weight behind her middle finger, driving the digit ruthlessly against Burns's leg.

Burns shouted out in pain as he collapsed, the strike having caused the muscles in his leg to contract violently. As he fell, Ace grabbed and manipulated his left arm back and then up, jacking the limb behind his back. In less then two seconds, Ace had effectively immobilized Burns without a change of expression. Burns, however, was a different story.

"OW!" he bellowed, trying, and failing, to get Ace off of him. Instead she only applied more upward pressure to the arm she patiently clutched. "Get the hell off me, ya Zhodani bitch!"

"I do not appreciate being hated because of my heritage," she said calmly. "I have served the Empire nearly all of my life. I am an Imperial citizen, and I haven't even been in Zhodani territory since I was a little girl. So let's put aside our differences, and start over only as members of the same crew. Deal?"

Burns didn't answer at first, so Tristan decided to 'help' a little. "Listen, sailor. If you don't start over with Ace, then I give her permission to kill you if you decide to attack her again."

Finally Burns answered. "Yessir, I'll do that sir."

"I'm not asking you to be her friend. Just put up with each other, 'kay?" When they both answered in the affirmative, Tristan had Burns go to the infirmary. As the man passed him, limping, Tristan sighed heavily. They hadn't even begun the journey, and there was already dissension among the crew.


	14. We're Bank Robbers!

**AN- Okay, I am really, really, REALLY sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. No doubt that most of my readers will have to go back and reread the story. I really am sorry about that. I had the worst writer's block for this story, and had to leave it alone for a while.**

**However, I finally got my act together and got this written. Hopefully those that read it will enjoy it and hopefully they'll review. I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't just because you are so annoyed with me. I apologize again. Note: this chapter, excluding the AN, is exactly one thousand words long. Hmm...**

**Read, enjoy, and please review!**

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Tristan finished sending the virus designed solely for the shorting out the security system of the bank he was about to rob. He sat back, ready for the activation signal to come, while another wave of doubt descended upon him. _Well, the people I'm stealing from aren't nice people. In fact, they are criminals. And I _did_ say that we were mercenaries willing to do any job._ A double chirp broke him out of his thoughts, and he touched the radio transmitter in his ear. "Shadow, begin insertion. Burns, remain in the back-up position. Sniper, you got overwatch?"

"Yes," came the monotonous reply. Tristan picked up his Talon Mk. II, a submachine gun he had developed that was highly accurized, and extremely silenced…its barrel _was_ a silencer. Plus, it had a 5x scope mounted on it, and a laser so that it would be easier to 'run-n-gun'. Though it was only 5.6mm and a submachine gun, it was about as powerful as a carbine, or maybe even a rifle. Both he and Shadow carried one this eve.

Shadow's POV:

"Shadow, begin insertion." The young man stood, and walked away from the bench he had been occupying. He had been enjoying the sounds of the night, but now it was time for work.

He was a short fellow, he had to admit He generally came up to shoulder-height of most normal human beings. Not that he cared. He was agile, and strong, and people underestimated him. He entered the building. "I've entered room Papa One. Heading for Papa Two." He took a left, and was soon in a large and comfortably decorated room, with couches and coffee tables with magazines. The waiting room. _Breathing and heartbeat is regular, movements are smooth._

"Entering Papa Three, preparing to engage." He calmly walked up to the four men sitting at the reception desk. _The one on the far left, he has a pistol, maybe 9mm. The one at his side has a submachine-gun, probably under the desk. The last two are either unarmed or only armed with light blades._

"May I help you?" the submachine-gun man asked politely. In response, Shadow raised his Talon Mk. II, and put a round cleanly through the man's head. The man collapsed, and the others scrambled for their weapons. But they never got the chance to use them. Each man received a single bullet either to his chest or his head. "Sir, this is Shadow. Building clear."

Two hours later:

Tristan leant back in the captain's chair in the mess room. They had stolen nearly five million wongs, and even though half of that went to their client, the rest was theirs. At least now they could continue on to Heifong and hopefully no authorities would decide to follow them. After all, it was part of the mission to destroy the bank after robbing it. Bombing the gas-line had been his idea. And damn, did it work great.

Now his ship was flying through ether space, and would make Heifong in a little over twenty-three hours. Now he had to figure out what to do with his spare time. It wasn't just him on the ship, and the rest of the crew had nearly all the duties covered. He, for the first time in many years, pretty much had nothing to do.

_Well, you could visit Ula_, a lecherous part of his mind volunteered. He quickly overrode that thought. She was still annoyed that he hadn't let her take part in the bank robbery, so visiting her would probably be dangerous for his health.

He sighed and closed out of his bank accounts. He'd figure out how to pay his crew when he felt like it. It's not like the money or his crew was going anywhere. He stood slowly, focusing on how his muscles reacted. Maybe he should exercise again. He hadn't in a while.

Thirty minutes later found him in the exercise room, doing push-ups with his left arm while his entire body was perpendicular to the deck, with extra weights strapped on his chest, arms, and legs. He probably weighed a total of three hundred pounds now, twice his usual weight. "Nine hundred ninety-eight," he hissed, pushing up hard enough that the sweat fell off his body like little drops of rain. "Nine hundred ninety-nine. One thousand!" He held his position for a short while, and then flipped so he landed neatly on his feet. He had already done one thousand with his right arm.

Before even taking a break, he immediately began katas for his favored style of hand-to-hand fighting, tae-kwon-do. He went on for a good ten minutes before he noticed them. Spinning in a tight circle for one of the more complicated blocks, he blinked as he saw his crew assembled, all watching him. He froze in mid stance, and then stood straight.

"Anyone want to take me?" he gasped, sweat dribbling down his face. None stepped forward. "Ula, not even you?" he asked once he noticed her way in the back of the small crowd.

"Thanks Captain, but we've already sparred." His heart gave an odd twinge when she didn't even call him by name. "I want to see how the rest of them can fight."

He shrugged, and looked over the group. "Fine, you can all come at once. Just remember, it's full contact." He watched amusedly as the men and women looked at each other. Then, at some invisible signal, most of them, all the combatants at least, charged forward with a roar. He quickly looked them over, making a strategy before they even reached him. It was Ace, Burns, Randgrior, Sparky, Shadow, Sniper, and Hendee all against him.

Just as the first came within his striking distance, he leapt into action, thinking all the while: _This ought to be fun!_ He was not wrong, nor alone, in thinking that. The spar would last a full half hour before he came out on top, as the winner.


End file.
